CD32 Drive for A1200

[toomanymikes]

Am I making things up or am I right in believing that there was a CD32 drive developed for the A1200 to allow it to play CD32 games? If so do you know if commodore ever released it and if you can still get them now?

[Harrison]

http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/cd1200-3.jpg


Indeed there was a CD drive designed for the A1200 by Commodore, called the CD1200. It looks identical to the flip lid part of the CD32 but in white. However it was only ever seen as a prototype and never launched as Commodore got into financial trouble before it's date of launch.

Here is more information about it:

http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/cd1200.html

But there is an alternative. The A1200 Squirrel PCMCIA SCSI adaptor, released with an external SCSI CD drive was able to run most CD32 games on the A1200 via it's own custom CD32 emulation to trick games into thinking the A1200 has the Akiko chip and the 1K save game flash ram. Many games still didn't work perfectly, or at all though. But with most CD32 games also later appearing as A1200 AGA versions you could just use those, installing them to HD.

[Puni/Void]

That's right. I first got the Squirrel SCSI set back in 1995 and it worked perfectly from the start. Did never encounter any serious problems with it. It's easy to install as well, and takes no more than five minutes.

[FOL]

Bah, jam a slim CDROM drive into the A1200 Case, as I did and install IDEFIX97 (which has a CD32 Emulator). Works great for now I have it setup right.

[FOL]

Incase your wondering, heres my pics i posted over at EAB.

http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-1.jpg


http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-2.jpg


http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-3.jpg


http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-4.jpg


http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-5.jpg


http://pspuae.condor.serverpro3.com/images/A1200Mod/A1200-6.jpg

Still needs abit of squaring off on the case. Also these pics so it with the IDEFIX EXPRESS installed (since removed as I had hastle). Just have the Buffered IDEFIX splitter installed now, so i can still run CD-ROM drive.

[Puni/Void]

That's a nice setup you have there, FOL. Although, compared to the Squirrel SCSI, it will be difficult for a person not used to tinkering with the insides of an Amiga to get it working without much hassle. With the Squirrel SCSI, it's plug and play all the way, which makes it easy to both install and use.

[Harrison]

An internal laptop CD drive is a modification I've wanted to do to one of my A1200's for some time. But I was going to fit it so it ejects out if the left-hand side of the A1200. I've measured a drive and it should fit.

The other project involving an A1200 I've got planned involves just the case and keyboard, and no actual Amiga as I want to use a Mini-ITX mobo along with a keyrah interface to install a PC inside an Amiga. Should work well and would be a really cool emulation PC. :) I really have to do this project soon.

[FOL]

Harrison, I thought about left hand side, and trust me, it means you have to butcher the case, :(.

P.G. not hard at all.

All you need is 1x IDEFIX 97 Board (non IDEFIX EXPRESS), 1x HD (or CF), 1x Slim drive, 1x atapi to ide connector (for slim drive), 1x 40 Pin IDE cable, 2x 44 Pin IDE cable's.
You then slot them altogether like lego, :). Only difficult part (if not experienced) is piggy backing the 3.5 PC Power connector to the Floppy drive connector (needed for slim drive power). Oh and finally thing is a PC PSU, to make sure there is enough juice for your extra's, ;).

[Harrison]

I will need to reconfigure the A1200 when I do this as currently it has a 3.5" HD inside that is using a floppy drive power splitter. I've a spare 6GB 2.5" HD I pulled from an old IBM laptop I was given that I will be using instead. :)

And I'm sure I can make a very nice and neat job with a dremel and the left-hand side of an A1200 case.

[FOL]

fair enough, make it so, :)

[Harrison]

I'm definitely going to try both of these projects and will try to begin them before the end of this year.

I just need to keep checking ebay in case anyone sells a broken A1200 I can use the case and keyboard from. Unless I do a tower conversion at the same time, then I will have a spare case from that. :D